Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America

Nigeria “Geri” Jones is a young Black girl living in Philadelphia. Her father is Dr. Kofi Sankofa Jones, the leader of the Movement, a Black nationalist group that he describes as “revolutionary freedom fighter(s)” (367). He has preached to a following of 300 people for the last 15 years about the oppression Black people face at the hands of white people and their need to fight back for their place at the “table.” Members of the group hold beliefs about the importance of keeping the traditional Black family, the duty of procreation, and avoiding white “oppressive” institutions like schools and the food industry.

As a result of her father’s beliefs, Geri has been home schooled for her entire life, is vegan, and faces pressure from her father to attend a Black university—despite her desires to go to Columbia and be a paleontologist. In particular, she has repeatedly watched the show Friends and she both idolizes Phoebe and has a crush on Ross—despite her father’s teaching that white people solely exist with the goal to oppress people of color.

With her best friend Kamau, who is gay, she makes plans to sneak away from the Movement and take a train to New York City.